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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chest — a box
  3. bass — low music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. march — the month
  6. current — happening now
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — electric
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — a cup
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mug — to rob
  22. march — the month
  23. mate — a friend
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com